DMK Victory
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aimed to establish a strong presence in Tamil Nadu, a state historically dominated by the Dravidian parties since 1967. However, the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), consisting of the DMK, Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Kongu Nadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KDMK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), delivered a stunning performance reminiscent of its 40/40 score in 2004, which led to the formation of the UPA-I government.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai led a strong campaign but only managed to finish runner-up in Coimbatore, pushing the AIADMK candidate to third place. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the DMK-led alliance won 38 seats in Tamil Nadu, leaving only the Theni seat to the AIADMK-BJP coalition and capturing the lone Puducherry seat as well.
With the 2024 Lok Sabha poll victory, M.K. Stalin has achieved a hat-trick of successes following his 2019 and 2021 (assembly election) victories after taking over the DMK leadership. Party colleagues and allies have described the victory as a referendum on Stalin’s governance.
Candidates from the DMK and its allies, including star nominee Kanimozhi, won by significant margins. Other prominent winners include Dayanidhi Maran in Central Chennai and T.R. Baalu in Sriperumbudur. Even in constituencies like Coimbatore and Dharmapuri, where the BJP and PMK (NDA allies) were confident of victory, the DMK prevailed. In Puducherry, Congress leader V.E. Vaithilingam is set to win by a substantial margin, thwarting BJP’s hopes.
The BJP increased its vote share to over 11%, relegating the AIADMK to third place in key constituencies such as Chennai South, Chennai Central, Kanyakumari, and Vellore. In Tirunelveli, Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) leader S. Seeman finished third, pushing the AIADMK to fourth place.
Exit polls had predicted the DMK-led INDIA bloc would secure 33–37 seats, the NDA 2–4 seats, and the AIADMK 0–2 seats. “We have delivered what we promised. The BJP has been pushed to a position where it cannot form a government on its own. We (I.N.D.I.A. alliance) have saved Indian democracy and the Constitution,” Stalin said, emphasizing that this victory was “much bigger” than the 2019 38-1 score.
The DMK’s victory in the April 19 elections was anticipated due to the alliance’s proven strength, the government’s populist schemes, and a split in opposition votes. The AIADMK and BJP, which contested separately after breaking their alliance, failed to make a significant impact. The AIADMK celebrated its second position with a 20% overall vote share from 32 seats, while the BJP remained subdued, having lost all 19 seats it contested.
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